Kazakhstan tennis player Yulia Putintseva has been bizarrely accused of feeding the mice which are running around her quarantine hotel room.
Undergoing 14 days lockdown in Melbourne, the world No.28 has been an outspoken critic of the hotel conditions the players are enduring.
After initially slamming Tennis Australia for not informing players they were at risk of a hard lockdown should a passenger on their charter flight test positive to COVID-19, Putintseva has likened her Melbourne hotel to a prison.
She posted on social media a sign that said, "We need fresh air to breathe", adding that she needed 10 minutes a day outside or windows that opened.
"In jail, at least you can breathe fresh air two times a day."
However, videos posted of mice in her room have gone viral, with the latest being viewed more than 50,000 times.
The 26-year-old was moved from her initial room, which had a mouse, but says her replacement room has even more.
"It's actually a lot of them, not 1 in my room now!," Putintseva tweeted.
"Different room same story - wanted to go to sleep but noooope! "
Putintseva tagged former Australian doubles star Rennae Stubbs, who earlier told players to quit complaining about conditions.
"@rennaestubbs And what do you say now? I should not complain and just go to sleep?"
Putintseva's request for a second room change was rejected with the hotel saying it was full, which she described as "a joke".
A three-time grand slam quarter-finalist, Putintseva garnered little sympathy from Victoria's police minister Lisa Neville, who accused her of feeding the rodent.
She said that cleaners were unable to service the rooms.
"We've had the hotel pest controlled this week and I think there may have been some feeding going on of the mouse," Neville said on Wednesday.
"We're doing everything we can to make sure these rooms don't have mice ... I'd encourage them to minimise interaction with the mice and we will keep doing pest control if we need to."
Australian Associated Press
